The Time is Upon Me!

I haven't written a post in a while but that is because I have been training pretty darn hard, at least to my standards.  I am now just one day away from competing in my first ever triathlon.  It is just a Sprint Triathlon, but it feels like an Ironman to me right now.  Nerves are on edge, anxiety is starting to set in; the question "why am I doing this, and am I crazy?" keeps popping up in my head.  Even if I look past this race this weekend, I look to next weekend and see an even more daunting task, the Louisville Kentucky Derby Marathon. But these events are exactly what I have trained for and what has given me the drive to lose weight and be healthier. These events are not the finishline, but the start of what I hope to be one of the best years of my life!

I volunteered for a local half marathon at the end of March.  I didn't participate because I was in the middle of my training and didnt want to go "all out" on a race event of that distance before my marathon - (sound advice from a co-worker.) So instead, I volunteered to give me added motivation of being around thousands of runners.  The race went really well and I had a few people I work with participate and get some really great times and PR's. During my time there, I met co-founder of Newton Running Shoes, Danny Abshire!  This guy is a self-made man who has developed custom shoes and orthotics for some of the most elite triathletes and endurance runners in the world.  If you dont already know how big Newton Running is, take a look at the most recent winner of Ironman Championships in Hawaii.  Look what he is wearing as he crosses the finish line. Yep, you guessed it, Newton Running Shoes. Now, I am not advocating that people switch shoes to Newton's but just getting the chance to meet someone of Danny Abshire's stature in this sport, is motivation enough.  But, it didnt just stop with meeting him, I actually ran with him and he evaluated my running form. Wow, I did feel lucky.  Dannny is a great guy who is very passionate about his product and it shows. He is a little man who looks a little like a very in-shape Mel Brooks.  He never stops moving and is always talking; he is a great guy.  So these are some of the reasons why volunteering at a large local race can be motivating; you may get to meet people that are influential in the sport, you get to give back to the sport, and its nice to get to cheer on your friends at the finish line.

Other than that, like I said before, I have been training as much as I can.  I train about 13-15 hours a week doing anything from strength training, running, biking/spinning, swimming, stretching, and yoga.  I have been going to a physical therapist for my hamstring strain and foot issue.  It seems to be helping, but I wish I had no pain at all, but I am not sure that will EVER happen.  It's better than the other choice of not getting in shape and sitting on the couch and taking years off my life by beign sedentary. That's what I used to be, and I damn sure don't ever want to go back to that.

Since I have my triathlon tomorrow and my marathon next week, I am into my taper period this week and next, so my workout schedule has lessened a little.  Insteaad of 3000 yard swims, I am only doing 1100 to 1500 yards, also I am only running 20-22 miles this week with a long run of only 10 miles. Next week, I will only run about 5-7 miles total before the marathon.  I am running shorter, faster runs rather than longer, moderate paced runs.  Biking hasnt really changed so much because I wasn't going especially crazy with the mileages anyway.  I try to keep my weekly bike/spinning mileage to around 75-100 miles a week.  I did go to a local Triathlon Shop and do some bike trianing with a wattage trainer so I could evaluate my power usage, but overall, my biking has remained relatively the same. I thought I would enjoy the taper period since it would be slowdown of my regualr activities that I have been gradually increasing for over a year now, but that is not the case.  In fact, it is just the opposite, I have been relatively uncomfortable about the whole thing. I have more time to think about the "what ifs" and "woulda, coulda, shoulda's."  For example, I now wonder if my taper period will affect my performance and endurance for the upcoming races.  Everyone that is more experienced than me (which is virtually everyone) says not to worry that I will appreciate the extra freshness and energy that my body will feel and that everything will be just fine. I know that all those people are right, but I still feel like I should have trianed harder, stronger, and longer.  I guess it's just the anxiety of the first races, but I hope I am ready. 

I still have that "fat boy" mentality that I am just not good enough to particitpate in these events, and that I still don't belong in these types of settings. It is still hard to look in the mirror and see an a runner, triathlete, or even a person that has lost the weight that I have.  Speaking of weight loss, I have lost a total of 170 lbs., but I still dont see it, or that I have lost that much.  It is nice to see people that I havent seen in a while, and they walk right past me not knowing who I am.  That does make me feel good and it shows me that even though I may not always be able to see the changes, that other people can see it.

Well, hopefully I will make it through the next two weeks without too much much damage.  I will post again after the races.  To those of you that are reading this looking for some motivation, inspiration or gratification on your own weight loss, I am not sure how, but I hope you find it, because it is not about how many races we enter, how much blood or sweat we lose; it's about somewhere in all the running, weight lifting, walking, biking, swimming, hiking, and overall weight loss; that you just find yourself and try to make the most out of every day we are given. With that, I wish everyone the best, and I will talk to everyone next week!

Until next time!

Tapering my training, anxious, getting frustated, but finding myself...

Training, Training, Training...

I haven’t written in a while so I thought I needed to update everyone on my progress and maybe even take a different path in my post. 

First of all, I am smack in the middle of my triathlon and marathon training and working very hard (at least for me). I am right in the middle of my training for the Heart and Sole Sprint Triathlon and the Kentucky Derby Marathon.  The sprint triathlon (April 21st) is one week before the Marathon (April 28th). After today, I will officially begin my taper for the Marathon.  I ran my longest distance today (approximately 24.5 miles) and that will be the longest I run until the day of the marathon.  For the following weeks, I will be slowly reducing my weekly mileage and my long runs will become shorter (< 20 miles).  I am doing strength training, running about 40 - 45 miles a week while mixing in a few long, tempo, and short, quick runs.  I am also still working on my swimming and have increased to about 5000 yards per week.  I still am doing spinning classes at least two days per week and trying to get outside to do some biking on the weekends.  I average about 12-14 hours a week in some sort of training.

I have started to develop an injury or two, but nothing to derail my training.  I have been to a Sports Medicine doctor and have started physical therapy for a right hamstring strain and some sort of arch/toe pain.  Basically, I probably need to do more post-workout stretching after my run and strengthening of my glutes and hamstrings.  Again, the doctor said it is nothing to stop any of my training, but it is something that needs physical therapy. 

Anyway, I have lost approximately 167-168 lbs. and I am eating just about anything I can get my hands on since my training volume has increased.  I still eat “clean”, just quite a bit of it.  I really like it, but there is only so much someone can eat in a given day.  I really enjoy the new “me” and the progress that I am making toward training for races.  I still learn new things every day from some of the most amazing people.  That is what I really wanted to talk about in this post, is the amazing people that I have come in contact with over this past year.  I have met some really great, unselfish, and extremely motivating people along my journey and I just wanted to share a little about their story. 

I know I may leave some people out, but that doesn’t mean that I haven’t been motivated by EVERYONE that I come in contact since my journey began.  Let’s start with a few people I have met at the YMCA.

First there is a woman, my spinning instructor and running partner, or “the beast,” as I like to call her.  She is a woman who has competed in a few Half-Ironman Races and countless road and mud races.  Over the past year, she has been my spinning instructor, triathlon mentor, running partner, number one motivator, and friend.  She, like most extreme athletes, will push herself to her limits with only her own pure self-will.  She pushes through pain and injury like no one I have ever seen before (not that it is always a good thing), but she does it without a grimace.  She is currently training for two half-Ironman races this year along with a couple of mud runs and a sprint or Olympic distance triathlon here and there, but she definitely lives up to her nickname. 

Next is a guy named Mike.  He is also a triathlete, but his triathlons are mostly XTERRA type events.  For those of you who don’t know XTERRA events are those that involve the same swim, bike, run aspect, but the run and bike are done on trails and by mountain bike.  These are extremely difficult races and therefore, the distances tend to be Olympic distances. Well, this guy is very unique.  He trains himself and creates his own workouts from his readings and experience alone.  He, like most triathletes, is very regimented and dedicated to his sport.  He really understands the sport and how to train efficiently.  He has given me some great advice over the last year on training regimens and readings that I should pick up.

Another person is a triathlete named John.  He is an older gentleman with great knowledge of the sport.  He has raced in anything from a Half –Ironman distance to sprint distances. He knows which races are good for beginners, and which races to stay away from.  He is actually the person who recommended that I try the Heart and Sole Sprint Triathlon Race. He is valuable resource when it comes to race knowledge.

These are just a few of the people that I have met along my way.  They are just some of the people who have helped me, motivated me, and even pushed me to reach my limits and even push past those.

Just an added note...

The preparation for my marathon has really become an eye opener.  I will tell you, a 20+ mile run will tell you a lot about yourself.  If you have read some of my other posts, you will find that I am passionate about running, more so than biking or swimming.  There is just something special about running. There are sights, sounds, smells (not always good smells though J), that most people won't get to witness unless you are a runner.  There is an area that I regularly run in the mornings that has the best sunrise that I have seen.  I am sure there may be better views of a sunrise on some beach, but this is a sunrise that I have found and maybe only a handful of other runners know about.  That is one of things that is special about running, you create your own place or even your own moment.

Next time, I will tell about my volunteer experience at a local half –marathon.

Great times, training hard, and running long…